1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to coupling a door piston to a door jamb.
2. Description of Related Art
With reference to FIG. 1, heretofore, a hydraulic door piston 2 utilized to automatically close a door 4, such as a screen door, was coupled to a door jamb 6 via a bracket 8. Bracket 8 typically included a base 10 having a transverse support member 12 affixed to base 10. Base 10 includes a plurality of holes 14 configured to receive suitably sized wood screws 16 which can be inserted through holes 14 and screwed into door jamb 6 when base 10 is positioned thereagainst. Support member 12 includes a pair of aligned pin receiving holes 18 spaced from base 10.
A distal end of a connecting rod 20 of door piston 2 includes a pin receiving hole (not shown) defined therein. The distal end of connecting rod 20 is configured so that when it is received in a gap formed between the pair of pin receiving holes 18 of support member 12, the pair of pin receiving holes 18 and the hole at the end of connecting rod 20 can be aligned whereupon a pin 24 can be inserted therethrough. Alternatively, an end of a housing 26 of door piston 2 opposite connecting rod 20 can include a hole (not shown) therein whereupon, when this end of housing 26 is positioned in the gap between the pair of pin receiving holes 18, pin 24 can be inserted through the pair of pin receiving holes 18 and the hole at the end of housing 26.
The end of door piston 2 not coupled to support member 12 can be coupled to door 4 in a manner known in the art. When coupled between door 4 and door jamb 6, door piston 4 is operative in a manner known in the art to close door 4 in the absence of door 4 being subjected to an opening force greater than the closing force applied to door 4 by door piston 2.
It is well known that when subjected to a higher than normal opening force, door 4 can deploy door piston 2 to its fully extended position whereafter said opening force can cause bracket 8 to pull away from door jamb 6 thereby stripping the screw threads formed in door jamb 6 by wood screws 16 during installation of bracket S. This stripping weakens or opens the connection between bracket 8 and door jamb 6 thereby adversely affecting the ability of door piston 2 to close door 4. In addition, if bracket 8 is totally ripped off door jamb 6, it may be difficult to re-attach bracket 8 to the shattered material of door jamb 6.
It is, therefore, desirable to overcome the above problem and others by providing a door piston to door jamb interface apparatus that enables a greater opening force to be applied by a door piston to a door jamb without damaging the door jamb. It is also desirable to provide a method of securing a door piston to a door jamb in a manner that enables greater opening forces to be applied by the door piston to the door jamb than bracket 8 permits. Still other desirable features of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description.